Chapter 69: Valuable

In the lady’s pavilion.

“You say Master Zhang gave Zheng Fa an Immortal Rank Token?” the lady asked the seventh young master.

The seventh young master saw both his sister and his mother wearing expressions of shock.

“Yes, Zheng Fa told me… He also said he has no intention of marrying yet.”

The seventh young master carefully relayed Zheng Fa’s words, glancing at his mother, afraid she might be angered by Zheng Fa’s refusal.

To his surprise, his mother’s expression was not anger, but a faint trace of regret.

She fell silent for a long while before speaking: “I thought I still had time. I didn’t expect it was already too late.”

Hearing this, the seventh young master grew even more confused: “What’s too late?”

The lady did not answer him, but turned her gaze toward her daughter.

The seventh young master followed her gaze and saw his sister’s expression was threefold more complex than his mother’s.

The eldest daughter, seeing both of them watching her, suppressed her turbulent emotions and thought before saying: “It must have been two days ago, when he visited Sister Zhang’s courtyard.”

The lady nodded, her sigh still lingering: “I already overestimated Zheng Fa, but I never imagined Master Zhang would value him so highly.”

With that, she suddenly rose and walked downstairs.

“Mother? Where are you going?”

Asked the seventh young master.

“Tired of staying cooped up. Going for a walk.”

“...Do you think I’m three years old?”

“You’ve grown up. Harder to fool now,” the lady said, still sounding wistful.

The seventh young master snorted. That excuse was too flimsy.

Since he could remember, his mother had lived secluded in this pavilion.

Even when his sister returned, his mother waited only on the first floor—never stepped out of the pavilion.

Now she suddenly wanted to leave it?

“Are you going to find Zheng Fa?”

The seventh young master thought—it was only Zheng Fa’s name he’d mentioned.

“Why not?”

“Why?”

The lady turned back, glancing at him with surprise—as if his question was absurd: “Master Zhang gave him an Immortal Rank Token. Shouldn’t I go congratulate him? He grew up in our Zhao family. When he joins the Immortal Sect, he’ll be one of our connections. Am I just supposed to sit idly by as head of this household?”

The seventh young master eyed his mother skeptically, disbelief filling his heart.

Zheng Fa receiving Sister Zhang’s Immortal Rank Token was impressive.

But his mother hadn’t left this pavilion in twenty years—just for this?

“Mother… are you going to apologize to Zheng Fa?” he suddenly realized and asked.

The lady halted, her face twisting with distaste and embarrassment as she looked at him: “I always said you’re clever at the worst possible times.”

“Mother, is it really that serious?”

“I’m afraid,” the lady said, her expression genuinely fearful: “What if he rises in the Immortal Sect and comes after me?”

“You know Zheng Fa isn’t like that.”

“Can you guarantee it? You trust him—I don’t trust him.”

The seventh young master grabbed his mother’s sleeve, stopping her: “Mother, you did those things for me. If anyone owes an apology, it’s me!”

He knew better than anyone how proud his mother was.

Since his father sank into wine, women, and concubines, his mother had stayed in this pavilion, never venturing to the front courtyard.

After giving birth to him and his sister, fulfilling the Zhao family’s duty of succession, she refused even to see her husband again.

She was so proud she scorned rivalry—did what she believed necessary, then sought only to be out of sight.

“What fault have you? You’re a fool blessed with fortune. The one you care for has such talent—I’m glad,” the lady shook her head, then snapped, seeing he wouldn’t let go: “I’m the one who made the mistake and offended him. So what? Can’t I admit it?”

The seventh young master said nothing, only gripped his mother’s sleeve tighter.

The lady’s tone softened slightly:

“If you go to apologize for me, you waste your bond with him. The more talented he is, the more valuable that bond becomes—not worth it.”

“If I go, I waste only my face. My face isn’t worth anything.”

“Let go.”

The seventh young master didn’t release her.

He knew perfectly well his mother cared most about her face.

The lady pulled her sleeve free from his grasp, smiling faintly at him.

“No matter how much I care about my face, is it worth more than the Immortal Rank Token in Master Zhang’s hand?” Looking at her two children, she shook her head bitterly: “If my face were truly valuable, my son wouldn’t have waited ten years for an Immortal Rank Token.”

Watching her leave the pavilion, the seventh young master turned to his sister.

“Sister, why didn’t you stop her?” Even with his close ties to Zheng Fa, he couldn’t bear to see his mother bow so low.

“Don’t stop her. Remember this.”

“Remember what?”

“What use is the Immortal Rank Token to her?”

The seventh young master froze.

“What does Sister Zhang’s favor matter? Can Zheng Fa make her an Immortal Ancestor?”

“...”

“Even if she offended Zheng Fa, would he kill her, just because of you?”

“...”

“She goes to apologize not because her face is worthless—but because compared to your future, her face is worthless. She doesn’t want anything she did to damage your bond with Zheng Fa, even slightly.” The eldest daughter looked at her brother: “When you’re in the Immortal Sect, when it feels cruel, when cultivation drains you, when the path ahead seems hopeless—remember today.”

The seventh young master stared at his sister and suddenly realized—after ten years in the Green Wood Sect, she had truly changed.

Below the pavilion, Wu the steward stared at the lady stepping out, his face as if the sky had collapsed.

“Madam?”

His tone suggested he didn’t recognize the woman before him.

“Do you know where Zheng Fa’s courtyard is?”

“Zheng Fa’s courtyard?” Wu the steward thought a moment, then said: “Yes, I know.”

“Lead the way.”

“I’ll have a palanquin prepared at once.”

“No. Walk. First, circle the entire Zhao Fu.”

“Huh?”

“Zheng Fa! Big trouble!”

Outside Zheng Fa’s courtyard came Gao Yuan’s shout.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing how grave he sounded, Zheng Fa stepped out the gate to ask.

“You don’t know? Today, the lady actually left her pavilion!”

“That’s it?” Zheng Fa thought the man was overreacting.

“You don’t get it. The lady hasn’t left that pavilion in twenty years… Think—unless something huge is happening, why would she come out?”

Zheng Fa found that logic plausible.

“So what happened?”

“How would I know? Maybe some big shot’s coming to Zhao Fu. Maybe it’s trouble with Master Zhao’s concubines,” Gao Yuan sneered: “All the servants are scrambling, terrified of being caught slacking by the lady. My father’s trembling, and he kicked me out to pretend to study in the seventh young master’s study.”

“Then why are you here?”

“The seventh young master isn’t in his courtyard,” Gao Yuan explained. “But I saw the lady on the way—so young-looking.”

“Hmm…”

“None of us younger servants have ever seen her. When I saw her, I couldn’t believe it. I’d say she looks just like the seventh young master’s sister.”

“Hmm…”

“I think she’s not heading to the front courtyard. Probably meeting some big shot… Who do you think it is?” Gao Yuan’s face brimmed with gossip.

“Me.”

“?”

“Yes. She’s right behind you.”